Head of PTI’s policy and planning cell briefs media about steps that can be taken to deal with energy crisis. PHOTO: APP/ FILE

LAHORE: Head of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) policy and planning cell, Jahangir Khan Tareen, has suggested concrete policy solutions to deal with the ongoing power crisis in the country which has paralysed the entire nation.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the PTI leader said that 210MMCFD gas should be diverted to power sector on an urgent basis to curtail unprecedented loadshedding. He also said that the government should increase liquidity to deal with the circular debt so that furnace oil is available to the power plants. Implementing these steps on an urgent basis can increase power generation by 3000MW and reduce the future circular debt, he added.

He also said that power generation can be increased by 1000MW immediately by releasing water from Mangla and Tarbela dams and the water would not be wasted as it was required for sowing of Kharif crop in both Sindh and Punjab.

Jahangir Tareen also proposed medium term solutions which include bringing down line losses from 20% to 10%, increasing collection to 95 per cent and convert 4500MW from furnace oil to coal. Undertaking the proposed solutions will enable the government to save Rs475 billion every year, he said.

Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government, he said that the government has doubled the tariff in the last four years and had spent Rs1 trillion in subsidies but the situation has continued to deteriorate. Circular debt has swelled to Rs450 billion and load shedding has become unbearable, he added.

He stated that the PTI was deeply concerned for the people of Pakistan and has offered the government to implement the proposed solutions to deal with the crisis.

He has been in govt. in one form or another since 98. CM task force 98, Advisor to Pervaiz Elashi 02, Minister 04, PMLF parliamentary leader 08 and didn’t do any of this and now suddenly he has all the solutions. ager kuch kerna hota to pehlay 12 saal kia ke hay?

With so many intellectuals/highly talented people joining PTI, I am very happy to say PTI is the only party which has done his homework to overcome all kind of crisis in the country when comes in power. We now need honest people to build a new and strong Pakistan. Please don’t let this rare opportunity go “waste”.

Lets face it. Till PTI comes into power all their good suggestions stand for zero.

In my humble opinion PTI should concentrate on issues relating to the election process. An election process in need of major improvement and correction to guarantee an honest result. PPP and PML_N , will both exploit and influence the polling stations, with street goondas or money. Crying about inconsistencies will be a waste of time. Thus,PTI should put all its efforts into play to ensure a proper, influence free polling atmosphere.

We don’t care what Tareen has done or “was not able” to do in the past. But from now on we all PTIans have to keep a close eye on him and all other old politicians.
Its awesome that Imran Khan is making them to get the homework done before getting into power. But keep a deep eye on what election commission is doing, too. We still can’t see any work done on the “method” of how overseas Pakistanis will be able to vote.
Please make sure that next elections turn out to be ‘fair’ ones ‘without’ any ‘khoon khraaba’ !!

@Qaiser K. Ahmed:
“In my humble opinion PTI should concentrate on issues relating to the election process.” – That is exactly what they are doing. Do you think that they don’t know that such suggestions would fall on deaf ears in the government? They are doing this to show that they are capable of dealing with this crisis, both in short and long term durations. To me. that is exactly the kind of election preparation that they need. They need to earn people’s trust by showing that they do have solutions or at least are spending time thinking about them. Unlike other political parties that are brain-dead at their core.

instead of at loggerheads,our leaders should focus on Pakistan economy by their mutual co-operation.The government should anounce a think-tank,employed with honest sincere people who have a political will to solve this issue…..

as much hope as I have with PTI and the belief I have on them, I think none of the suggestions here as new or innovative, all of these have been discussed for ages, point is that govt either doesn’t have capacity or doesn’t have will to solve the issue. Considering the big gun that Jehangir Tareen is, I would expect something better

Wow! I am appalled at these “suggestions” even more appalled by the comments praising them. Increasing liquidity would compound inflation, power theft & line losses has run everyone’s finances dry yet no comment on how that would be tackled. Meanwhile, gas may be redirected to confirm the demise of the already struggling private sector!

In short term, the basis of the entire energy crisis is theft/losses & subsequent circular debt. Unless this fundamental problem is addressed no fund or resource injection would solve the energy crisis.

In the long term, cheaper energy production plants (read Hydal & Nuclear) are needed.

You don’t need a genius to point out the obvious. If these planners & stratigest were actually even remotely qualified to tackle the issue things wouldnt have been so glum. Sadly, politics is all about scoring points and the country is losing out in their games.

I mean really. You trolls think that only PTI have given a solution???? Well my friends every party has the question is who implements them. Talking about shaukat tareen he did not, even though he was in power for more than a decade. But no he is in PTI now so you guys think this time he will? PML-N was the first to give detailed long term solutions. So now obviously PTI has to do the same. Nawaz visits missing persons camp than leaders of PTI like senior politician Javed Hashmi comes to the media and ask their party chairman to do the same. Nawaz calls for a long march against the premier followed by calls of tsunami march by the PTI. I’m not a fan of PML-N but people for god sake this country has seen much now it cant afford that literate people like yourselves be biased when it comes to national issues. We must appreciate everything positive happening around us. Not like you guys do, criticize PML-N and back PTI even though more than ninety percent of the time both these parties are saying the same thing. The difference is PML-N said all of the above mentioned information before PTI.
NOTE: all the facts given are true and can be researched on net.

Reducing line losses and increasng payments. That is what PPP also wants to do. It is unable to. How will PTI do that? Converting oil and gas based plants to coal based will reuire billions of dollars of investments. Where will the money come from? Given PTI’s known stance on WOT and other issues, it is unlikely that US will intervene on Pakistan’s behalf to get loans otherwise not merited . Also they state that the coal will be imported (at least in middle term – they are not talking about Thar coal). None of the coal exporting countries are your friendly Muslim brothers who will give coal on credit unlike gas and oil. You will have to pay cash upfront.

Well I saw more elaborate solutions by PMLN rather than by PTI. PMLN solutions are manifold. PTI is just talking about conversion of power plants to coal while PMLN is suggesting micro based projects for electricity and power generation. Take for instance the Punjab government initiative of Bio Gas generation and more than 1000 plants will be working in coming months. Similarly Solar based solutions ranging from panels to solar reflector technology are also discussed. In Chakwal you can already see some Wind Mills as well. Punjab gov is also in a discussion to have an electricity generation through Solid Waste in Lahore. In addition to that Micro Hydro projects are also being discussed along with Power generation through Bio Mass. So in my view PMLN is taking the lead and also implementing some of them at micro level.

Long have i been a supporter of PML-N. Today PTI has gained a vote from me and Nawaz has lost one. I feel very confident that PTI will do what is best for our country. These people think to a productive end.

@kashif: Well did you go through the verdict and research of Energy conference organized by Punjab government under the supervision of Shahbaz Sharif. In fact PMLN is the first one to organize energy conference and PTI followed suit. ???. I am sure you did not read any news about that as PMLN black out of news is common.! The reason being their solutions were more elaborate then anyone else. The windmilles are being established in North of Punjab and also you can see Bio Gas plants everywhere in Punjab. In the tenure of PMLN Punjab became the first province of Pakistan whose efficiency of Electricity distribution is one of most efficient and less than 12 percent losses are recorded throughout Punjab. Punjab gov is not as bad as you think but unfortunately their media coverage is pathetic.

If PTI has sensed the problem, then they would be able to resolve it. Its just like cataract of the eye, remove it and cure it.
But the replacements should be fair, purely on technical grounds, no nepotism.

I have a fool-proof plan for unrestricted electricity supply. if we all pay Rs. 2 per unit of electricity directly to Zardaris coffers, i guarantee you everyone would get all the electricity they ever wanted…..

Why don’t you Wake Up! to the new reality. Do you still believe in PMLN(SNP) and PPPP’s ability to deliver…. Mark my words… You will not regret seeing PTI in power. However won’t the cynical die if they don’t spread cynicism???